choose your destiny

mercoledì 9 febbraio 2011

applausi for one hell of a tasting room

Above, Jeremy and Alfonso, settling in to the coolest tasting room we have been in yet at our tasting with Livio Felluga. Although I wasn't such a big fan of the new releases we tasted at lunch this was one of the coolest experiences. Matteo was really energetic and fun to taste with. Knowing all of the recent releases we have been tasting he reached deep into his past and brought out some ''old white wine''. First, two Terre Alte (30% Friulano, 30% Pinot Blanc, 40% Sauvignon Bianco) which he didnt tell us the vintage right away and wanted us to really think about the wines. They happened to be a 1996 and 1997 and both showing so very different. The 96 slightly oxidated and the 97 still so fresh in many ways. In the 97 vintage they started using 20% new wood expecting the wine to age better, and going by these two wines I can agree with that.

You can see the color difference on these two wines. The 96 being the dark golden on the left.

Next came out some reds.... The Sossò, which before 2000 was a 100% Merlot bottling. When they started getting feedback that the wine tasted like a good Pomerol, they dropped everything and took a moment to reflect. They wanted something indigenous that reflects the area in Friuli, not to imitate a french red wine. After 2000, the wine is only 35% Merlot blending with the indigenous grapes 65% Refosco and 5% Pignolo. We tasted 1994, 1996 and 1997. Man the 1994 was so delicious with beautiful not overwhelming fruit, dirty, old, and great...and like nothing I have tasted in this region.

Above, Matteo pouring for the group

Above, Me and Wayne Young pulling the wise maneuver. Matteo offered to give us our left over magnums, and you didnt see a moment of hesitation in Wayne and I as we pounced on that opportunity. If Wayne ever gets into beer he will create a blog titled ''Wayne alla Spina''.
We will be tasting typical Friulian foods today and hope to pair some of these old Felluga wines with them. Before the tasting we had lunch in a really cool setting, and I had the best Caffè and Gelato I have had in a long time. The Refosco 2007 was my favorite wine with lunch.